1080i
A combination of frame resolution and scan type, used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. [Read the fulll article…]
1080p
A set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vertically. [Read the fulll article…]
180-degree rule
An imaginary line drawn across two subjects, setting a boundary for the camera angles. The action axis is used to anchor the continuity of action on screen. [Read the fulll article…]
480i
A vertical resolution of 480 lines, and the i identifies it as an interlaced resolution. [Read the fulll article…]
480p
A vertical resolution of 480 pixels, usually with a horizontal resolution of 640 pixels and 4:3 aspect ratio or a horizontal resolution of 854 or less. [Read the fulll article…]
4K UHD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
576i
A standard-definition video mode originally used for terrestrial television in most countries of the world where the utility frequency for electric power distribution is 50 Hz. [Read the fulll article…]
576p
A vertical resolution of 576 pixels, usually with a horizontal resolution of 720 or 704 pixels. [Read the fulll article…]
720p
A progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). [Read the fulll article…]
8K UHD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
Action axis
An imaginary line drawn across two subjects, setting a boundary for the camera angles. The action axis is used to anchor the continuity of action on screen. [Read the fulll article…]
Action Cutting
The process of aligning or overlapping the shots of a film sequence in order to achieve a smooth transition from the action in one shot to the action of the succeeding shot. [Read the fulll article…]
Aerial Shot
A shot taken from an airborne device, generally while moving. This technique has gained popularity in recent years due to the growing availability of drones. [Read the fulll article…]
After Effects (ae)
After Effects is to video editing what Photoshop is to image manipulation: an all-encompassing application with a professional toolset designed for anything from titling to character animation, compositing and more. [Read the fulll article…]
Aliasing
A side effect of digital signal processing that causes distortion or unwanted artifacts in the reconstruction process. Aliasing can affect both the video and the audio signals. [Read the fulll article…]
Analog
Opposite of digital. The term refers to the recording (storage and measurement) of an infinitely variable signal gathered from a physical source. In electronics, analog signals are generally acquired through the Composite, S-Video, or Component Video connectors. [Read the fulll article…]
Analog Recording
A means of recording audio or video whereby the recorded signal is a physical representation of the waveform of the original signal. [Read the fulll article…]
Anamorphic
The cinematography technique of shooting a widescreen picture on standard 35mm film or other visual recording media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. [Read the fulll article…]
Aperture
A small, variable-size hole in the camera that allows light to reach the sensor. Apertures are expressed with the symbols f/ followed by the ratio between the focal length and the diameter of the hole. Common aperture settings are f/11, f/5.6 and f/4. [Read the fulll article…]
Artifact
Any undesired or unintended alteration in data introduced during the processing of the digital video signal. Most digital artifacts are the result of problems with compression, aliasing and/or error diffusion. [Read the fulll article…]
ASA
The exposure index or speed rating of a film which denotes the film's sensitivity. [Read the fulll article…]
Aspect Ratio
The proportional relationship between the image's width and its height. The most common video aspect ratios are 4:3 (1.3:1) and 16:9 (1.7:1). [Read the fulll article…]
Atmosphere
Extras who are staged and photographed to portray normal human traffic needed to add detail in various script situations. [Read the fulll article…]
Audible Spectrum
When wave motion in the atmosphere has a frequency that lies between 20 and 15,000 Hz it produces a sound which is apparent to the average human. [Read the fulll article…]
Audio mixing
The result of combining combining audio signals from different sources, such as microphones, instruments, recordings, etc. [Read the fulll article…]
Audio sequencer
The hardware or software based brain of a MIDI studio. It receives, stores and plays back MIDI information in a desired sequence. [Read the fulll article…]
Audio Spectrum
When wave motion in the atmosphere has a frequency that lies between 20 and 15,000 Hz it produces a sound which is apparent to the average human. [Read the fulll article…]
Automatic Gain Control (agc)
A circuit that automatically adjusts the gain of an amplifier based on the relative strength of the input signal. Used to maintain an even output when the audio signal is too low or the scene is poorly lighted. [Read the fulll article…]
Automatic Slating
A camera attachment which records the film shot and take numbers and a visible sync mark which corresponds to a tone fed to an audio recorder. [Read the fulll article…]
AV-sync
The relationship of sound ad picture that exists when the movements of speech are perceived to coincide with the sounds of speech. [Read the fulll article…]
Backing Track
Prerecorded accompaniment for a singer or voiceover actor who then listens through headphones to a replay as he/she performs. [Read the fulll article…]
Backlight
A light which is generally mounted behind a subject to light the subject's hair and shoulders without illuminating a subject's front. [Read the fulll article…]
Bandwidth
The maximum amount of bits/second that can travel along a network or channel. Most videos players will allow for automatic scaling a video stream to match the available bandwidth. [Read the fulll article…]
Beat
A periodic variation of amplitude resulting from the addition of two slightly different frequencies. [Read the fulll article…]
Bed
Background music used underneath a narrator or foreground dialog. Primarily applied to commercial radio or television spots. [Read the fulll article…]
Beep
Short duration sound track tone aligned to a point on the film for precise reference in synchronization in the editing and printing processes. [Read the fulll article…]
Bit rate
The rate of binary digits flowing in a digital data-processing system. Bit rates are expressed as the number of bits per second (bps or Kbps) traveling through a digital stream. [Read the fulll article…]
Board
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Broadband
A wide bandwidth channel which transports multiple signals and traffic types. Broadband can refer to media such coaxial cable, optical fiber, radio or twisted pair. [Read the fulll article…]
BT.709
A set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vertically. [Read the fulll article…]
C mount
A standard mount interface for lenses used in small cameras. Internal diameter: 1"; thread pitch 1/32"; flange-to-image plane distance: 0.69". [Read the fulll article…]
C-stand
A stand primarily used to position light modifiers, such as silks, nets, or flags, in front of light sources. [Read the fulll article…]
Call Sheet
A form which refers to all of the scenes to be filmed and all of the personnel and equipment required for shooting on a particular day. [Read the fulll article…]
Camlock
A feeder cable connector which is similar to a Tweco, but with a more positive locking mechanism which is easier to disconnect. [Read the fulll article…]
Canted angle
A device or process whereby the camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon. [Read the fulll article…]
Canted Frame
A device or process whereby the camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon. [Read the fulll article…]
Charge-coupled device (ccd)
A semiconductor chip with a light-sensitive grid used for converting images to electrical signals. CCD is the core technology behind digital photography and video. [Read the fulll article…]
Clacker
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Clapboard
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Clapper
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Clipping
The distortion of an audio or video signal, resulting in the high amplitude peaks being cut off. Clipping is often caused by the overloading of amplifier circuits. [Read the fulll article…]
Coaxial cable (coax)
A specialized wire (cable) consisting of an inner conductor surrounded by multiple layers of insulating material. Used to carry high frequency electrical signals with low losses, such as telegraph, telephone, television, and Internet signals. [Read the fulll article…]
Codec
Refers to a combination of coder and decoder software or hardware. A codec encodes and/or decodes a digital data stream or signal. [Read the fulll article…]
Color Depth
The number of bits used that a given device or system can use to represent the color of a pixel. Common color depths include 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit. [Read the fulll article…]
Color grading
The process of improving the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. [Read the fulll article…]
Color Temperature
A light source is the temperature of an ideal black-body radiator that radiates light of a color comparable to that of the light source. [Read the fulll article…]
Color Timing
The process of improving the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. [Read the fulll article…]
Colorburst
In a color television signal, a generated analog video signal used to keep the chrominance sub-carrier synchronized. [Read the fulll article…]
Compact Disc (cd)
Digitally encoded disc capable of containing more than one hour of audio at a sampling frequency of 44.1 khz. The data is read by a laser beam. [Read the fulll article…]
Compositing
The combining of visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. [Read the fulll article…]
Composition
Visual make-up of a video picture, including such variables as balance, framing, field of view and texture all aesthetic considerations. Combined qualities form an image that’s pleasing to view. [Read the fulll article…]
Crop factor
The crop factor, format factor or focal length multiplier of an image sensor format is the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's imaging area compared to a reference format; most often, this term is applied to digital cameras, relative to 35 mm film format as a reference. [Read the fulll article…]
Cutaway
A single shot inserted into a sequence of shots that momentarily interrupts the flow of action, usually introducing a pertinent detail. [Read the fulll article…]
Cutting on action
The process of aligning or overlapping the shots of a film sequence in order to achieve a smooth transition from the action in one shot to the action of the succeeding shot. [Read the fulll article…]
Cyclorama
Permanent background built in a studio which is nearly always coved or curved at the floor line to create a shadowless, unending backdrop. [Read the fulll article…]
Data-rate Units
A way to express the average number of bits (bitrate) passed between two points in a fixed timeframe. Most common units are bit/s, kbps, Mpbs and Gbps. [Read the fulll article…]
DCI 4K
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
Dead band
A place in which a sound waves are canceled by reflections arriving out of phase with the wanted signal thus creating an area of silence or poor audibility. [Read the fulll article…]
Dead spot
A place in which a sound waves are canceled by reflections arriving out of phase with the wanted signal thus creating an area of silence or poor audibility. [Read the fulll article…]
Dead zone
A place in which a sound waves are canceled by reflections arriving out of phase with the wanted signal thus creating an area of silence or poor audibility. [Read the fulll article…]
Decoder
A circuit or chip in cameras and other input devices that converts video signals from analog to digital. [Read the fulll article…]
Deep Focus
A style of cinematography and staging that uses relatively wide angle lenses and small lens apertures by maintaining objects in the extreme background and foreground simultaneously focused. [Read the fulll article…]
Degausser
A device used to erase recordings on magnetic tapes and films or to demagnetize magnetic recording heads. [Read the fulll article…]
Deinterlacing
The process of converting interlaced video, such as common analog television signals or 1080i format HDTV signals, into a non-interlaced form.
[Read the fulll article…]
Digital Recording
A method of recording in which samples of the original analog signal are encoded on tape or disk as binary information for storage or processing. [Read the fulll article…]
Digital Signal
The result of the conversion of the original (analog) video signal into a pattern of bits. A digital signal has a discrete value at each sampling point, and its precision is a factor of how many samples get converted per unit of time. [Read the fulll article…]
Digital television
Can refer to the digital video and audio signals that are broadcasted, or the digital television sets that decode the incoming signals. [Read the fulll article…]
Digital Visual Interface (dvi)
A video display interface developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). The digital interface is used to connect a video source, such as a video display controller, to a display device, such as a computer monitor. [Read the fulll article…]
Digitization
The conversion process that encode continuous video stream into discrete samples and store the result in a numerical format. [Read the fulll article…]
Distribution amplifier (da)
A device that amplifies and distributes an original signal to multiple, isolated locations (outputs) without distortion: a WI-fi router, a television station antenna, etc. [Read the fulll article…]
Dolby SR
A noise reduction format was developed by Dolby Laboratories and has been in common use in professional audio since 1986 and in cinema audio since the late 1980s. [Read the fulll article…]
Dubbing
A process used in filmmaking and video production in which additional or supplementary recordings are "mixed" with original production sound to create the finished soundtrack. [Read the fulll article…]
Dutch angle
A device or process whereby the camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon. [Read the fulll article…]
Dutch tilt
A device or process whereby the camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon. [Read the fulll article…]
Echo
A reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. [Read the fulll article…]
Edit Decision List (edl)
A list that contains an ordered list of reel and timecode data representing where each video clip can be obtained in order to conform the final cut. [Read the fulll article…]
Exposure
The amount of light per unit area reaching the image sensor, as determined by shutter speed, lens aperture and scene luminance. A higher exposure will result in a brighter picture.
[Read the fulll article…]
Fauxtography
Digitally manipulated photograph. Alternatively: using a camera and telling your subject you’re taking a photo, but secretly taking a video! [Read the fulll article…]
Feed Lines
Lines of dialogue which are read outside camera range for the benefit of an 'on camera' or 'on microphone' actor or voice over artist. [Read the fulll article…]
FHD
A set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vertically. [Read the fulll article…]
Film noir
Usually refers to the classic black and white film noir style used in detective mysteries, typically employing hard lighting and dark, low key lighting. [Read the fulll article…]
Film score
The original-music composition for a motion picture or television production which is generally recorded after the picture has been edited. [Read the fulll article…]
Filter
A transparent material having the ability to absorb certain wavelengths of light and transmit others. [Read the fulll article…]
Float
Periodic vertical movement of the image which occurs as a result of mechanical faults in the camera, printer, or projector. [Read the fulll article…]
Focus
The area on which compositional elements converge. Typically refers to the sharpest elements in the image. [Read the fulll article…]
Focus Pull
Shifting focus between subjects in the background and foreground so a viewer’s attention moves from subject to subject as the focus shifts. [Read the fulll article…]
Framing
Act of composing a shot in a camcorder’s viewfinder for desired content, angle and field of view. [Read the fulll article…]
Freeze Frame
An optical printing effect in which a single frame image is repeated so as to appead stationary when it is projected. [Read the fulll article…]
Frequency
The number of times a signal vibrates each second as expressed in cycles per second (cps) or Hertz (Hz). [Read the fulll article…]
Frequency response
A measure of the effectiveness with which a circuit, device, or system processes and transmits signals fed into it, as a function of the signal frequency. [Read the fulll article…]
Full HD
A set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vertically. [Read the fulll article…]
Full height anamorphic
A process by which a comparatively wide widescreen image is horizontally compressed to fit into a storage medium with a narrower aspect ratio. [Read the fulll article…]
Gaffer
The chief lighting technician for a production who is in charge of the electrical department. [Read the fulll article…]
Gaffer tape
A type of non-damaging, super durable tape used on film sets, most often by the gaffer and grip department. [Read the fulll article…]
Gain
A measurement of the ratio between two quantities. In audio and video, gain refers to a measure of the increase in loudness, level or volume relative to the input signal. [Read the fulll article…]
Gate
The aperture assembly at which the film is exposed in a camera, printer, or projector. [Read the fulll article…]
Gel
A piece of colored plastic used on lights. Gels allow light to pass through while changing the color tone of the light itself. [Read the fulll article…]
Genlock
A device which enables a composite display (usually a TV) to combine two signals simultaneously by locking one while processing the other. Acronymn for "generator locking device." [Read the fulll article…]
H.264
The name of the most common video compression standard for high-definition digital video for resolutions up to 8K. Also known as MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-4 Part 10. [Read the fulll article…]
Halogen lamp
Tungsten-Halogen lights or lighting units. The name is derived from the material which encloses the lighting element. [Read the fulll article…]
HD Ready
A progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). [Read the fulll article…]
High dynamic range (hdr)
The compositing of two images, one that properly exposes the highlights, and another that properly exposes the dark areas. When composited together, you get a properly exposed image. [Read the fulll article…]
Hiss
A random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. [Read the fulll article…]
Hot shoe
A mounting point at the top of some cameras that allow you to attach a flash unit, microphones or other accessories. [Read the fulll article…]
HSL/HSV (hsl)
Acronymns for Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) and Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV) . HSL and HSV are color space naming conventions that allow for selecting colors more intuitively than by entering RGB or CMYK numbers. [Read the fulll article…]
Hydrargyrum Medium-arc Iodide (hmi)
Device that emits light via pressurized mercury vapor and metal halides. Ideal for imitating daylight, they keep relatively cool and have a very high light output. HMI light has a color temperature of around 5600K. [Read the fulll article…]
Image Sensor
A sensor that detects and conveys information used to make an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of current that convey the information. [Read the fulll article…]
Impedance
The measure of the opposition that a circuit presents to a current when a voltage is applied. The term complex impedance may be used interchangeably. [Read the fulll article…]
Insert
A shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot. [Read the fulll article…]
Insert Editing
A single shot inserted into a sequence of shots that momentarily interrupts the flow of action, usually introducing a pertinent detail. [Read the fulll article…]
Intercutting
In editing method whereby related shots are inserted into a series of other shots for the purpose of contrast or for some other effect. [Read the fulll article…]
Interlaced
A technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display. From a viewer perspective, Interlaced video enhances motion perception and reduces flicker. [Read the fulll article…]
ISO
A camera setting in the digital cameras that changes how sensitive the sensor is to light. [Read the fulll article…]
Jitter
The displacement of random horizontal lines in video frames. Jitter is the result of a loss of data between devices due to interference, cross-talk and other network disruptions. [Read the fulll article…]
Joint
A stereo microphone technique where two microphones are incorporated into a special configuration for recording. [Read the fulll article…]
Latitude
The extent to which a light-sensitive material can be overexposed or underexposed and still achieve an acceptable result. [Read the fulll article…]
Lean-In
When the juxtaposition of shots in a sequence, usually in a scene of dialogue, starts with medium or long shots, for example, and ends with close-ups. [Read the fulll article…]
Lens
The transparent material (usually glass) through which the light beam enters the camera and is refracted onto the body and sensor of the camera. [Read the fulll article…]
Letterboxing
The result of converting a film from widescreen aspect ratio to standard. Letterboxing creates black areas above and below the original clip to make up for missing content. [Read the fulll article…]
Lip sync
The relationship of sound ad picture that exists when the movements of speech are perceived to coincide with the sounds of speech. [Read the fulll article…]
Long Portrait
Takes portraiture photography and transfers it to video form, revealing a subject’s subtle expressions, mannerisms, and gestures. [Read the fulll article…]
Masking
A phenomenon whereby one or more sound "trick" the ear into not hearing other, weaker, sound that are also present. [Read the fulll article…]
Match cut
A cut made on action or movement between two shots in which the action has been overlapped either by repetition of the action or by the use of more than one camera. [Read the fulll article…]
Matching on action
The process of aligning or overlapping the shots of a film sequence in order to achieve a smooth transition from the action in one shot to the action of the succeeding shot. [Read the fulll article…]
Matte
A process shot in which foreground action is superimposed on a separately photographed background by an optical printer. [Read the fulll article…]
Mid-Side
A stereo microphone technique where two microphones are incorporated into a special configuration for recording. [Read the fulll article…]
MIDI
A protocol that allows synthesizers and computers to communicate with and/or control each other in real time to produce sound. [Read the fulll article…]
Mix
The result of combining combining audio signals from different sources, such as microphones, instruments, recordings, etc. [Read the fulll article…]
Mix Cue Sheet
A sheet having several columns for notations of footage, fades. volume levels, and equalizations which are used in mixing sound tracks where each column usually represents one track.
[Read the fulll article…]
Modulation
A process that converts mutimedia information to an electrical or optical signal before it is transmitted. The reverse process (demodulation) converts the signal back to the original blend of audio, video, image and text. [Read the fulll article…]
Monochrome
A device, process or media that uses only variants of a single color tone (hue). Black and white pictures are monochrome images. [Read the fulll article…]
Monopod
A single staff or pole used to help support cameras, binoculars, rifles or other precision instruments in the field. [Read the fulll article…]
Montage
The assembly of shots and the portrayal of action or ideas through the use of many short shots. [Read the fulll article…]
Music sequencer
The hardware or software based brain of a MIDI studio. It receives, stores and plays back MIDI information in a desired sequence. [Read the fulll article…]
Negative
An image those tonal values which are the opposite (black & white) or complement (color) of those in the original subject. [Read the fulll article…]
Nickel Metal Hydride (nimh)
A type of battery used in some lower-end cameras. Although cheaper than Lithium ion batteries, they tend to lose charge when not in use and don’t provide as much overall power. [Read the fulll article…]
Noir
Usually refers to the classic black and white film noir style used in detective mysteries, typically employing hard lighting and dark, low key lighting. [Read the fulll article…]
Noise
In analog video, a random flicker of dots or snow-like patterns resulting from electronic and radiated electromagnetic interferences accidentally picked up by the antenna. [Read the fulll article…]
NTSC (ntsc)
The analog television color system that was used in North America from 1954 and until digital conversion, was used in most of the Americas. Set to 525 lines per frame, 29.97 frames per second.
[Read the fulll article…]
Obie
A light mounted by the side of the camera, to provide direct light onto a subject's face, with the aim of reducing the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles.
[Read the fulll article…]
One Minute Video
A video exactly one minute in length, containing no camera movements (panning, tilting, etc.) or editing, and making use of original sound. [Read the fulll article…]
Opacity
The ratio of the amount of light falling on a surface to the amount of light which is transmitted. [Read the fulll article…]
Optical Effect
The combining of visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. [Read the fulll article…]
Over The Shoulder
Shots that are framed with an emphasis on a particular character’s perspective. This shot is used in dialogue scenes to show conversations between two people. [Read the fulll article…]
Overlapping Action
The process of aligning or overlapping the shots of a film sequence in order to achieve a smooth transition from the action in one shot to the action of the succeeding shot. [Read the fulll article…]
Phantom power
A method of remotely powering the preamplifier or impedance converter which is buitlt into many microphones by sending a voltage along the audio cable. [Read the fulll article…]
Phase Distortion
A shifting of output voltage relative to input by an amount which is disproportional to frequency. Phase Distortion is undetectable until it is amplified. [Read the fulll article…]
Pilot tone
A sine wave signal, recorded by various field audio recorders at a known frequency, which is used to resolve the tape speed on playback to retain sync with film camera footage. Obsolete. [Read the fulll article…]
Pilottone
A sine wave signal, recorded by various field audio recorders at a known frequency, which is used to resolve the tape speed on playback to retain sync with film camera footage. Obsolete. [Read the fulll article…]
Plasma Screen
Display screens comprised of hundreds of thousands of tiny gas-filled cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass. [Read the fulll article…]
Polarizing Filter
A piece of glass that fits over the front end of a lens to change the way that your camera sees and treats light, while ultimately cutting down on glare. [Read the fulll article…]
Preamp
An electronic device that boosts extremely weak signal voltages, such as those from microphones or mag heads, to a level that is usable by power amplifiers. [Read the fulll article…]
Preamplifier
An electronic device that boosts extremely weak signal voltages, such as those from microphones or mag heads, to a level that is usable by power amplifiers. [Read the fulll article…]
Prescoring
Recording of music or other sound prior to the shooting of the picture which is to accompany it. The most common usage is in animated film. [Read the fulll article…]
Prism Shutter
A device used on many film viewers, editing machines, and some high-speed cameras, consisting of a rotating prism of four or more sides through which the viewer light passes as film is pulled continuously through it. [Read the fulll article…]
Process Shot
A shot that will be composited from two other shots. The background part of this process is called a 'plate'. [Read the fulll article…]
Progressive scan
A way to store and transmit images that draws all the lines in each frame in sequence. Compare to other techniques such as interlacing. [Read the fulll article…]
Quartz-halogen
Tungsten-Halogen lights or lighting units. The name is derived from the material which encloses the lighting element. [Read the fulll article…]
Racking focus
Shifting focus between subjects in the background and foreground so a viewer’s attention moves from subject to subject as the focus shifts. [Read the fulll article…]
Re-recording
The process of mixing all edited music, effects and dialog tracks of a film or video production to mono, stereo, multichannel or whatever audio format is desired for the final print master. [Read the fulll article…]
Resolution
The total number of bits that a digitized image contains, or that a digital display can show. Typically expressed as the number of pixels referencing the width and height of the image or display: 800px x 600px.
[Read the fulll article…]
Room modes
The collection of resonances that exist in a room when the room is excited by an acoustic source such as a loudspeaker [Read the fulll article…]
Rough cut
A preliminary trial stage in the process of editing a film. Shots are laid out in approximate relationship to an end product without detailed attention to the individual cutting points [Read the fulll article…]
Safe area
Boundaries within which contents of a television picture are sure to be seen, regardless of masking differences in receiver displays. [Read the fulll article…]
Scenarist
A writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based. [Read the fulll article…]
Score
The original-music composition for a motion picture or television production which is generally recorded after the picture has been edited. [Read the fulll article…]
Screenplay writer
A writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based. [Read the fulll article…]
Screenwriter
A writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based. [Read the fulll article…]
Scrim
A metal 'window screen' that can be placed in front of a lighting unit to decrease the lighting intensity by a predetermined amount. [Read the fulll article…]
Scriptwriter
A writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based. [Read the fulll article…]
Scrub
Moving a piece of tape or magnetic film back and forth over a sound head to locate a specific cue or word. [Read the fulll article…]
Second Unit
A photographic team that shoots scenes which do not involve the principal cast, such as stunts, car chases, or establishing shots. [Read the fulll article…]
Sensitivity
An indication of recording or playback efficiency as might be a measure of a microphone or audio tape recorder. [Read the fulll article…]
Sequencer
The hardware or software based brain of a MIDI studio. It receives, stores and plays back MIDI information in a desired sequence. [Read the fulll article…]
Shotgun Mic
A highly directional microphone, usually with a long, tubular body; used by the production sound mixer on location or on the set for film and television productions. [Read the fulll article…]
Signal
The form of variation with time of a wave whereby information is conveyed in some form whether it is acoustic or electronic. [Read the fulll article…]
Skip Frame
An optical printing effect which eliminates selected frames of the original scene to speed up the action. [Read the fulll article…]
Slate
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Slave
An audiotape or videotape transport, projector or mag film dubber whose movements follow the movement of a single master transport. [Read the fulll article…]
SnorriCam
A camera rig attached to the body of an actor to create the effect of a background moving around a stationary subject. [Read the fulll article…]
Sound Designer
A film sound specialist responsible for the development and augmentation of all soundtrack material, or a significant portion thereof, and is ultimately in charge of the entire sound production. [Read the fulll article…]
Sound marker
A device to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are filmed and audio-recorded. [Read the fulll article…]
Sound masking
A phenomenon whereby one or more sound "trick" the ear into not hearing other, weaker, sound that are also present. [Read the fulll article…]
Sound Mixer
The person responsible for capturing sound as it plays out live, determining microphone types and placement. [Read the fulll article…]
Sound track
Generically refers to the music contained in a film, though it literally means the entire audio portion of a film, video or television production, including effects and dialog. [Read the fulll article…]
Soundtrack
Generically refers to the music contained in a film, though it literally means the entire audio portion of a film, video or television production, including effects and dialog. [Read the fulll article…]
Specular
A term used to describe highly directional, focused light. This is often perceived as a very 'hard' light. [Read the fulll article…]
Spill
Light that is escaping from the sides of a lighting unit, or any light that is falling where it is not wanted. [Read the fulll article…]
Spill fill
Light that is escaping from the sides of a lighting unit, or any light that is falling where it is not wanted. [Read the fulll article…]
Splice
The technique of compositing used to combine visual elements such as actors onto a virtual background. In traditional film-making, refers to the act of joining two pieces of film by any of several methods. [Read the fulll article…]
Spotting
Used in scoring and sound effects editing to identify the specific scenes or points where music cues or effects cues will take place. Usually, this will include information on length and style. [Read the fulll article…]
Standard HD
A progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). [Read the fulll article…]
Standing waves
A deep sound in a small room or recording booth. It refers to low audio frequencies caused by long waves with short reflection patterns. [Read the fulll article…]
Steadicam
A flying camera stabilizer (often comprised of an arm, vest, and sled) that enables cinematographers to get smooth moving shots. [Read the fulll article…]
Stinger
The nickname for an extension cord made to the film industry standard. Most often referred to a single 'hot' extension that is left lying around for occasional use. [Read the fulll article…]
Stock
In traditional film-making, a general term for the motion picture film itself, before it is exposed. [Read the fulll article…]
Stop motion
An animated-film making technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion when the series of frames is played back as a fast sequence. [Read the fulll article…]
Storyboard
A drawing that shows each scene of your video. A storyboard provides a concise plan for what you need to shoot or animate. [Read the fulll article…]
Streaming media
Digital video content that can be transmitted and viewed simultaneously. Typically used for broadcasting "live" events in real-time. [Read the fulll article…]
Sweetening
Enhancing the sound of a recording or a particular sound effect with equalization or some other signal processing device. [Read the fulll article…]
Swishblog
A unique way of vid-blogging (invented by Vimean Justin Johnson) that makes use of quick pans or tilts at the beginning and end of every shot to transition between clips and give your video a fun, dream-like feel. [Read the fulll article…]
Sync light
A camera attachment which records the film shot and take numbers and a visible sync mark which corresponds to a tone fed to an audio recorder. [Read the fulll article…]
Tearing
An horizontal line which appears during playback, caused by the graphics processor being out of sync with the display. [Read the fulll article…]
Telephoto
A lens that uses a telephoto group to enable a longer focal length than the physical body of the lens would normally permit. [Read the fulll article…]
Temp Dub
A preliminary mixing of dialogue, music, and sound effects, usually so that a first cut may be viewed with all of these elements incorporated. [Read the fulll article…]
Tracking shot
A camera shot that physically advances or changes the position of the camera relative to the subject, changing the spatial relations between a subject and its surroundings. [Read the fulll article…]
Tungsten light
A light bulb that emits light using a filament of tungsten wire, and are larger versions of the everyday lighting found in your home. [Read the fulll article…]
TV Safe
The area of a filmed image which will normally appear on a home television set after a film has been transferred in telecine and then transmitted. [Read the fulll article…]
UHD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
UHDTV
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
Ultra HD television
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
Ultra-high-definition television
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. [Read the fulll article…]
Upconversion
A system which converts video signals from one display resolution to another; typically, scalers are used to convert a signal from a lower resolution, a process known as "upconversion" or "upscaling." [Read the fulll article…]
Upscaling
A system which converts video signals from one display resolution to another; typically, scalers are used to convert a signal from a lower resolution, a process known as "upconversion" or "upscaling." [Read the fulll article…]
Video
An electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. [Read the fulll article…]
Video Amplifier
Video amplifiers are devices that amplify the power of the video signals, using bandwidths that differ depending on the target. [Read the fulll article…]
White noise
A random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. [Read the fulll article…]
Wide angle lens
A lens that uses a grouping of glass to enable a shorter focal length than the physical body of the lens would normally permit. [Read the fulll article…]
Zoom lens
A mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length (FFL) lens. [Read the fulll article…]
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